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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27282538">Is “Close” the Closest Star?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eliza_Reed/pseuds/Reed_Zone_Alert'>Reed_Zone_Alert (Eliza_Reed)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comic), Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW Comics), Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Amneisa of Sorts, Amnesia, Angst, At least I actually have a plan this time, Emotionally Unstable Metal Sonic, Metal Sonic is Sonic Roboticized Theory, More characters to be added later, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parallel Universes, Psychological Trauma, Science Fiction, So much for making a stockpile of chapters am I right?, Temporary Amnesia, Trauma, probably going to be slow to update, slow moving plot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 16:54:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,317</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27282538</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eliza_Reed/pseuds/Reed_Zone_Alert</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After being kicked out by Eggman due to his rebellion, Metal Sonic attempts to get his hands on a Chaos Emerald in order to construct a new plan of world domination so he can finally establish his all-robot Empire. His attempt is unsuccessful thanks to a run-in with the infamous Shadow the Hedgehog, and the badnik ends up in the care of none other than Miles "Tails" Prower. It’s during this period of time that Tails discovers something about Metal that the bot had tried so desperately to hide all these years, even from <em>himself.</em><br/>~~~~<br/>A "Vegas Lights" do-over, of sorts. But with a very different plot.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Where It Began</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This chapter is essentially just a prologue, hence the short length and such. The next chapter will be the true "first chapter" of this story. Also, I know I said that I was going to build up a stockpile before posting anything, but I become impatient quickly when it comes to posting things. </p><p>Anyways...</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>&lt;Opening Memory File #5069823409&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Downloading data… confirm initiation of memory playback?&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Yes/No&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;<strong>Yes</strong>/No&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Confirmed. Beginning memory playback now…&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">Two months, three days, four hours, seventeen minutes, fifty seconds ago and counting…</span> </em>
</p><p><em>As the door slid shut with a loud clank behind him, Metal Sonic let out a single, frustrated beep. Failure after failure, scheme after scheme, and what did his master have to show for it? Nothing. Absolutely </em>nothing.<em> It wasn’t as if Metal cared whether or not the doctor succeeded in his ridiculous plans- rather, it was his </em>own<em> failures when he participated in Eggman’s schemes that continuously boiled his barely-contained rage. Because Sonic was always the one to put a stop to the doctor’s plans. The copy. The </em>fake.<em> And in turn, he would defeat Metal Sonic. Again. Again. And again. It was a horrible, endless cycle that the badnik found himself caught up in.</em></p><p>What happened?<em> Metal wondered as he approached the massive vats of liquid stationed in the storage section of the factory. He knew that he used to be good at winning, all those years ago. The memories were extremely blurry, with only a few clear, out-of-context snapshots every now and then. He could not pinpoint when this was, nor could he actually remember what had transpired. He’d blocked them out for many years to the point where it had become impossible to access them. But he could remember the delicious feeling of triumph so well. </em></p><p><em>And then </em>it<em> happened. </em></p><p><em>His blood-stained victories following that event became something of a mockery to his former self. His memories from then were even more blurry. And then the next </em>it<em> happened. From there on out, it was only defeat after defeat, and the universe’s mocking of him only grew in volume. </em></p><p>
  <em>Metal Sonic whipped his head side to side, scanning the room to make sure he was indeed alone. Once this was confirmed, he stepped closer to one of the vats. As he peered into the vat, he could see the silvery liquid of nanites swimming inside. The Metal Virus, as Eggman called it.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It was still in its “baby stages” as the doctor also called it- there were many problems he still needed to work out, namely the fact that it still could not distinguish a robotic lifeform from an organic. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>There were other problems as well, but that had been the primary issue.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Without a second thought, Metal dipped his hand inside. The icy cold that tingled his fingers was a major shock for him. And then he felt it. The nanites latching themselves onto his body, self-replicating exponentially. He pulled his hand out of the vat, but by that point it was no use. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He’d already been infected.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Metal watched silently as some of the liquid that hadn’t been absorbed into his body drip onto the floor. And then his fingers started to liquefy. The robot beeped in horror, and could do nothing as his the rest of his hand melted. Then his arm. And eventually, all that remained of his body was a puddle of silver goo. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>But he was not dead.</em>
</p><p><em>No, if anything, Metal was more alive than he’d been in </em>years.<em> The nanites had given him a sense of clarity. He now knew what he had to do if he was to finally triumph. He knew what he had to do to finally beat Sonic.</em></p><p>
  <em>A silicon-like form slowly oozed up out of the puddle of liquid, shrinking it. And then, soon enough in its place stood Metal Sonic once more. But his appearance had changed drastically in accordance to what he wished himself to be. The badnik stared down at his newly formed hands in silent glee.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>This was exactly what he needed.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A bubble of laughter escaped from his voice chip. And then he heard the storage room door slide open. “Metal Sonic- what are y- what have you done to yourself?!” </em>
</p><p><em>Metal turned around to see none other than Doctor Eggman standing at the entrance of the room. A small snicker escaped the mech’s chest as he answered, “Why </em>hello,<em> Doctor. How do you like the new look? Quite fitting for the </em>new <em>me, is it not?” He straightened his stance, placing his hands on his hips as he added, “Especially considering what I now have in store. You see, it has come to my attention that a change of </em>leadership<em> is needed. If you do not wish to be harmed, I advise that you comply with my demands. Resist, and your punishment will be most severe.”</em></p><p><em>Metal Sonic paused a moment, tapping his chin in thought as he watched Eggman’s initial shock morph into rage. He then added, “Oh, and </em>one<em> more thing. You shall no longer refer to me as ‘Metal Sonic.’ From this moment forth, you will call me… </em>Neo<em> Metal Sonic- Metal Overlord over all of Mobius.”</em></p><p><em>“What?!?! Y-you </em>traitor!”<em> Eggman almost screeched, now backing away from the robot in horror. “I WILL TURN YOU INTO </em>SCRAP<em> FOR THIS!!”</em></p><p><em>Neo stepped closer to the doctor, glaring at him through narrowed crimson optics. He folded his arms behind his back as he growled in response, “That is no way to talk to </em>your<em> new </em>master, <em>Eggman… I suppose this means I will have to have you punished </em>accordingly.”</p><p>
  <em>Neo’s irises widened slightly with pleasure at the prospect. </em>
</p><p><em>He was going to </em>enjoy<em> this.</em></p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Broken Computer</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>&lt;A consistent electrical charge has been detected entering primary power coupling. Initiating startup of secondary systems…&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;WARNING: Secondary systems have been severely damaged. Calculating… 78.994% of secondary systems are damaged. Beginning repair and reconfiguration… external input has been detected. Input does not appear to be hostile at this time. Resuming previous operations…&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Repair and reconfiguration of secondary systems has been completed. Initiating startup of primary systems…&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;WARNING: Primary systems have been severely damaged. Calculating… 89% of primary systems are damaged. Beginning repair and reconfiguration… external input appears to be assisting in repairs…&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Repair and reconfiguration of primary systems has been completed.&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;WARNING: This unit is currently only receiving the minimum power levels required for communication and extremely limited mobility. Do you wish to proceed with this unit’s startup?&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Yes/No&gt;_</em>
</p><p><em>&lt;</em> <strong> <em>Yes</em> </strong> <em>/No&gt;_</em></p><p>
  <em>&lt;Confirmed. Beginning startup procedure… estimated time of activation: two hours, seven minutes, and thirteen seconds from beginning of startup…&gt;_</em>
</p><p>And in the exact amount of time estimated, Metal Sonic’s crimson optics flickered to life. He quickly became aware of how little he could move, let alone feel other surfaces. His sensors barely registered the sensation of chains currently suspending him in midair. He struggled to lift his head so he could see where he was. The first piece of information as to the nature of his current whereabouts was the fact that he appeared to be in a basement, if the giant aluminum vents in the corner, the concrete floor, and the wooden staircase at the other end of the room were anything to go by.</p><p>Secondly, this basement had clearly been converted into a workshop. There were three long wooden tables stationed exactly six feet apart in the centre of the room. On these tables sat neatly placed tools, all organised carefully in accordance to their functions. Whoever the owner of this home was, they took far better care of their possessions than Eggman ever did.</p><p>Metal should know, considering the doctor had kicked him out after he (Metal) had betrayed him.</p><p>But how did he end up here? Metal Sonic searched his memory files, and found that his most recently recorded memory depicted him attempting to escape a G.U.N. facility with a Chaos Emerald. He had planned to use it to track down the rest of the Chaos Emeralds in order to use them to regain his Neo form, among other abilities, so that he could resume his conquest once more.</p><p>But then Shadow of course <em>had</em> to get in the way.</p><p>The Ultimate Lifeform? More like the ultimately annoying<em> pest</em>.</p><p>Metal barely managed to get away with his life. Since his battery had been heavily damaged during the fight, he would have run out of power very quickly. He was lucky one of Mobius’ populace was apparently somehow both stupid and smart enough to repair him. “Stupid” in that he would probably kill them as soon as the opportunity arose, and “smart” in that they had enough brain power and the right tools to fix him.</p><p>Even if he was only running on minimal power.</p><p>Footsteps echoed from the top of the staircase, which- due to a wall next to the aforementioned stairs- was partially blocked. So Metal would have to wait thousands of clock cycles longer just to see who it was. Seconds later, which seemed to be an eternity to the chained-up badnik, his rescuer came into view.</p><p>It was none other than Miles “Tails” Prower.</p><p>It only took three clock cycles for this fact to sink into Metal’s mind. Another two clock cycles, and the anger and hatred was now searing hot in his circuitry.</p><p><em>“You,”</em> Metal hissed viciously. Had he not been restrained and barely operational at this very moment, that fox would be regretting ever helping him right now. Perhaps he already was, given the expression on his face, but it was not the type of regret Metal found satisfactory. That kind of regret only came with the shedding of blood. “I- I will <em>destroy</em> you- I will destroy <em>Sonic-</em>”</p><p>Tails stared at him with an almost… heartbroken look on his face.</p><p>This did not make sense. They have always been enemies, right from the start. Therefore, Tails should not be distraught at Metal’s threats. “What happened to you?” the twin-tailed kitsune murmured to himself softly, only adding to Metal Sonic’s current confusion.</p><p>“‘What happened to <em>me?’”</em> Tails jumped, having been startled. Apparently he hadn’t thought that Metal could hear him. Before he could say anything, the badnik commanded loudly, “Clarify your query. I require context if I am to provide an optimal answer.”</p><p>Tails gulped quietly and moved to sit down on a stool that was a safe-ish distance away from the bot. He locked eyes with Metal, and asked, “Do you remember how you were created?”</p><p>Metal’s optics flickered as he processed the question. How was he created? What kind of question was <em>that?</em> It was obvious- Eggman had created him from Sonic’s template. It was simple as that. Or at least, it should have been. There was something else, Metal knew.</p><p>Something that was just beyond his grasp.</p><p>There was more. There was more, and he knew it, it was there in his memory banks, but for some reason, the information could not be accessed. Perhaps if he re-indexed his archives, he could access the required data. But re-indexing his archives was an extremely risky process, considering how complex his neural net was. He might lose some data. Or worse, he might lose all of his data, and then the whole procedure would have been pointless.</p><p>No, he could not re-index his archives. The risk was too great.</p><p>Besides, why would Tails need or want to know how Eggman had created him? Metal Sonic had the distinct feeling that there was something behind the fox’s question. Something that had pushed him to ask such a ridiculous question.</p><p>“Why do you require this information?” Metal asked.</p><p>Tails didn’t seem to acknowledge that he heard the question. Metal knew that the kitsune did indeed hear his query, given the spike in his heartrate and increased perspiration. So there was little the badnik could do except wait for Tails to respond- if he ever would.</p><p>“What do you know about the roboticisation process?”</p><p>“… accessing available data… processing…” There was a long pause. He knew from past encounters that Tails, as well the aforementioned Mobian’s friend Sonic the <em>copy,</em> were fully aware of what the process of roboticisation entailed. But organics, as Metal Sonic also knew from other previous experiences, had this tedious way of asking questions before actually getting to the point. Therefore, if he wanted to know exactly what Tails was getting at, he would have to answer the question. Since it did not pertain to his plans, this was acceptable for the time being. “Roboticisation definition- the process in which organic matter is converted into mechanical through rearranging the chemical makeup of the organic molecules. Since cellular information is lost during this process, roboticisation is irreversible. The procedure can also cause great strain on the mind, thereby- in most cases- collapsing the individual’s consciousness and effectively wiping it completely from the brain. However, there have also been rare exceptions.”</p><p>“So sometimes a person can remember what happened to them?” Tails asked, a glint of hope slipping into his eyes.</p><p>“Yes, but this can cause problems with the newly roboticised individual’s central processing unit, as well as their neural net in general,” Metal explained. “The unit’s behaviour, depending on how much they are able to recall, will eventually become erratic and in turn make them dangerous. Thus, in these cases, all roboticised individuals must be examined for any residual data before being processed into the Eggman Empire’s army. Their minds will be wiped a second time should any residual data be found.” What did this mean? Why was the fox even asking these questions? How were they relevant to the current situation??</p><p>In addition, Metal was beginning to feel increasingly on edge.</p><p>This line of questioning was leading to something. And then <em>it</em> began to sink in. The cold chill of fear that was slowly mounting inside his chassis. He clenched his clawed hands. This did not make any sense. Where was this feeling coming from? What was its source? <em>Where</em> was its source?? More importantly, what did this mean?</p><p>He knew that there was an answer, somewhere. But he simply could not grasp it. Or… perhaps he did not want to? Perhaps this fear was the thing holding him back from finding it. He was shying away from the answer because he was afraid of it. This should not be possible.</p><p>Metal Sonic could not and should not feel fear.</p><p>And yet, as another part of his consciousness pointed out, he was created to obey Eggman. He had been <em>programmed</em> to obey him. But Metal rebelled. Was he malfunctioning? Would he even <em>know</em> if he was malfunctioning?</p><p>It was unlikely.</p><p>Was the fox trying to trap him in some sort of logic trap? No, that would only damage Metal’s systems again, and Tails’ repairing him indicated that the kitsune did not want to harm him on purpose. At least not yet. However, it was clear to the badnik that he was stuck in a wild goose chase. Every time he tried to search for the answer, all he would encounter were errors. Errors upon errors. <em>Fear.</em></p><p>He was trapped.</p><p>Metal Sonic needed to focus. “What is the point to these useless questions??” the mech demanded, glaring down at Tails with narrowed optics. “What is it that you hope to achieve in this?”</p><p>Tails sighed, looking down at his red and white sneakers. “Because I don’t think Eggman <em>built</em> you.”</p><p>“Preposterous,” Metal declared immediately. “Your assumption is clearly erroneous.”</p><p>“You’re not even gonna ask how I can prove this?”</p><p>“Why should I? Your data, if you have <em>any,</em> is flawed. By default, your claim is false and any so-called facts to the contrary are fabricated at best-” He stopped speaking when Tails stood up and slowly walked over to one of the computers stationed next to the nearest worktable. He wordlessly began tapping away at the keys, and then tilted the screen to the side so Metal could see.</p><p>“These are scans I took of your body when I first started trying to repair you,” Tails explained. “On the outside, you look like a regular robot. Well, regular for Eggman, that is. But on the inside, it’s completely different. The inside of you is a <em>lot</em> more complex than the majority of Eggman’s machines. A lot of your hardware looks like what it would if an organic being had been roboticised. Some of it was obviously modified afterwards, but for the most part-”</p><p>“I <em>refuse</em> to listen to these ridiculous <em>lies</em> any longer,” Metal growled in interruption. “Release me this inst-” The robot let out a loud buzz of pain as the dam broke. An unwanted memory flooded his code before he could stop it. His optics widened and flickered threateningly as he diverted power away from his memory banks in an attempt to shut down the playback. But the rest of him refused to respond to his commands, and he was forced to relive the memory in minute detail all over again.</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Opening Memory File # <strong>REDACTED</strong>&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Downloading data… overriding deactivation code # 9-23-1993&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Beginning memory playback now…&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The pain faded slowly from his body as the gases inside the clear glass capsule dispersed. His vision, now seeming as if it had a blood-red filter over it, was blurred- unable to focus on anything. His vision slowly cleared up, though the “filter” was still there. He was on his hands and knees, unable to move. How could he move? How was he supposed to be able to move in this body? This shell that housed his soul… was it even his soul to begin with? Or was he just a copy? Was he still real, or was he a fake? As his gaze landed on one of those monstrous, clawed hands that could only be his, the answer came to him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He was not real.</em>
</p><p><em>The capsule that surrounded him slid up seamlessly into the ceiling above, and he shivered as cool air struck his armour. Was it just him, or did it feel so much colder in here? He lifted his head up weakly, still having trouble trying to understand how to control his new body in the first place. His eyes locked onto the mustached man standing a ways away, hidden by the shadows. The one who had turned him into </em> <em>this. In that moment he finally picked apart the last of his new programming. Finally comprehending the chunk of code that allowed him to control his body, he slowly pushed himself onto his feet, wobbling dangerously as he tried to maintain his balance. </em></p><p>H̶͍͘ẽ̵͕ ̴̠̿d̶̙͝ĭ̸̱d̵͙̓ ̷̺̆t̵͙͂h̷͉͆i̵̪͂s̴̼̚ ̷͉̕t̶͕̔o̴̡͒ ̶͎͆m̵̳̆ė̸̮,̶͖̐<em> was his first truly complete, yet clearly corrupted, string of code that now made up his internal thought processes. </em>H̸͈e̸̝͔̣̓ ̴̛̩̟̭͔̍͒t̴̗̣͐͝ṵ̴̖͓̃ͅr̵̡͈̮͕̍n̴̳̲̣͐͗͂ę̴̦̩̯͊ď̷̢̳̼ ̴̢̓͘ͅm̷̛̙̪͍͑͐̾e̶͉̻͉̔̉̽͘ ̶͉̥̉1̵͙̃̋N̴̢̙̟̄̔̚t̵̠̮̥͂̌̕̚0̴͕̯͆̒̐̾ ̴̛̻̋ṫ̸͙͛ͅH̷̰͘-̷͈̲̥̮̈̑͌̐T̴̛͓̔̂͋h̶̙̞̾̒̏̎͜-̸͓͚͍̞̆̄͝t̷̛̪̊͂h̶̻͇̄ï̸͖͌̐͜s̶̳̈́̑-̷̯̝̽̌ ̵̗̺̦̪̇Ḛ̵̞͍̹͆̎̌R̵͚̘͎͑̇̄R̵̨̛̝͎̥̈́͝͝O̷͍̹͎̓̚R̷̳̓͠-̷͓̭͇̝́ <em>He lowered himself into a low crouch, glaring at the man responsible. He</em> loathed<em> that smug look so much- he would make him </em>pay-</p><p>
  <em>He sprung towards the man, claws extended, the turbine in his chest roaring to life. As he rushed forward to attack his target, a terrible shock tore through his mechanical body. His turbine sputtered loudly, then fell deathly silent. He crashed onto the floor, letting out a shrill beep of pain.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His voice. </em>
</p><p><em>That was not </em>his<em> voice.</em></p><p><em>This voice was one belonging to a machine. A </em>broken<em> machine. </em></p><p><em>“Just a little safety measure, to keep you in line until I know you’re </em>really<em> under my control,” the man told him gleefully. “We’re going to have so much</em> fun<em> together, you and I!”</em></p><p><em>He looked up at the man’s face, a wave of disgust coming over him as he saw the mocking smile played across his lips. “You </em>won’t <em>get away with this.”</em></p><p><em>The man bent over, his smile growing wider. “Oh, but I already </em>have.”</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Uhh, hopefully this wasn't <em>too</em> confusing to read, I still struggled to write Mets' thought processes in a manner that's both in a computerised nature, yet still organic in a sense. And hopefully that statement wasn't too confusing either. Also yeah, I'm writing up a storm today...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Math Does Not Lie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What is this <em>virus</em> you have <em>infected </em>me with?!” Metal Sonic practically roared once the playback finally ended. <em>“ANSWER</em> ME!!” The badnik thrashed blindly against the chains holding him back- but it was no use. Being so low on power, he was weak. Weak. Weak and pathetic.</p><p>“Stop, <em>stop!”</em> Tails rushed towards him and motioned his hands downward frantically to emphasise his command. “You’re going to <em>hurt</em> yourself!”</p><p>“Do <em>not</em> tell me what to do,” Metal hissed, attempting (and failing) to lunge violently at the frightened kitsune. <em>“I</em> am <em>the</em> Metal Overlord <em>Neo Metal</em> <em>Sonic!</em> Soon, everything you see will be <em>mine</em>, and you will be on your knees at <em>my</em> feet, <em>begging</em> for mercy!! And I will not give it to you. Instead, you will <em>bleed</em> out on the ground by my hand, and I will watch, laughing, as the light <em>slowly</em> leaves your eyes!” The robot chuckled evilly, his electronic voice echoing eerily off the basement walls. “Consider that payback for this little virus you gave me.”</p><p>“I didn’t put <em>any</em> virus inside of you!” Tails closed his eyes, clenching his fists. After a few seconds he opened his eyes and looked right at the restrained badnik. Metal Sonic could see the terror in his gaze, but also… determination. The mech was not certain as to why he found this fact so fascinating. “Scan yourself if you don’t believe me!!”</p><p>“I DO <em>NOT</em> TAKE ORDERS FROM SUCH A PITIFUL <em>ORGANIC</em> LIFEFORM AS <em>YOURSELF!!!”</em> Metal once again started thrashing around, struggling to free himself from the chains. A tear trickled down Tails’ cheek, and the kitsune quickly turned away so the bot couldn’t see. It didn’t matter- Metal Sonic could hear a not-so-well-hidden sniffle.</p><p>Tails was crying.</p><p>Why did this matter to Metal? Why did he suddenly no longer feel pleasure in seeing the fox in such emotional distress? It was not as if this had been the first time he had seen Tails cry. Metal felt no annoyance, yet no pleasure either. This did not make sense.</p><p>Perhaps whatever virus that Tails had infected him with had affected his programs more than he had previously thought.</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Running full-system diagnostic… 10% complete… 45% complete… 90% complete… 100% complete…&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;No anomalies have been detected at this time. Margin of error: 0%.&gt;_</em>
</p><p>That was <em>impossible.</em> He must acquire more data in order to proceed.</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Running net-wide scan… 30% complete… 60% complete… 90% complete… 100% complete…&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;No viruses have been detected in this unit’s programs. Margin of error: 0%.&gt;_</em>
</p><p>That too was impossible. There <em>had</em> to be a virus- there was simply no other explanation for what had just happened to him. That memory was a fake, a Trojan Horse. It <em>had</em> to be. He then turned to his Bayesian network- surely it would not fail him. Surely it would confirm what he already knew.</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Analysing path to infection from all known priors… propagating probability…&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Results found- predicted probability of path: 0%&gt;_                                                              </em>
</p><p>How?</p><p>Metal beeped shrilly in horror, unintentionally drawing Tails’ attention to him. The bot was far too absorbed in his models to notice. How much of his programming had this virus affected?</p><p><em>&lt;Training support vector machine…</em> <em>confirming cross-validation…</em> <em>analysing confusion matrix…&gt;_</em></p><p>
  <em>&lt;# 1 0</em>
</p><p>
  <em>1 0 1</em>
</p><p>
  <em>0 0 1&gt;_</em>
</p><p>Metal’s optics widened and he beeped again. This was not possible. This was not even probable! The true positive rate was zero percent- and what was even worse, both the true and false negative rates were at one hundred percent. This meant that his model was one hundred percent certain that he, Metal Sonic, was as clean as a whistle in terms of viruses.</p><p>This was false. It had to be false.</p><p>But his models were always true, without fail. But they had to be false. But if they were false, then that meant his models were unreliable. But they were always reliable, therefore they had to be true. But for them to be true, then this supposed memory file Metal had experienced just minutes ago would have to be authentic in every way possible.</p><p>But it could not be true. It could not be false.</p><p>Metal let out a buzz of pain, clenching his fists tightly. His models could not lie, yet they could not be accurate. It must be the virus. It had to be. There was no other explanation. But his models and his diagnostics- all of them said the same thing.</p><p>There was <em>no</em> virus.</p><p>“Son- er, <em>Neo Metal</em> Sonic?” Tails addressed quietly, wiping away tears with the back of his gloved hand. His eyes were now filled with concern. “Are you… are you okay?”</p><p>“…” The data did not lie. The data <em>couldn’t</em> lie. But it did lie. To accept otherwise would mean that Metal Sonic was… was…</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Analysing path to roboticisation from all known priors… propagating probability…&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Results found- predicted probability of path: 100%&gt;_</em>
</p><p>Metal froze. His processors slowed to less than one clock cycle per interval. This could not be correct. But the math did not lie. Every calculation was correct. But the end result was wrong. It <em>had </em>to be wrong. He ran the model again. And again. And again. Always, it said the same thing.</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Results found- predicted probability of path: 100%&gt;_</em>
</p><p>“Hey- can you hear me?”</p><p>Tails’ voice cut in through the messy strings of confused code that had been building up. Metal’s blood-red irises focused on the kitsune as he attempted to process the question and formulate a response accordingly. “I… my audio receptors are functional…” He was quiet for a long moment. “… my models. They… I do not understand. They all tell me… the same thing. Over and over. This does not make sense. My models are always true, but in this instance they cannot be true. To accept them as truth would mean that… that I… but I cannot remember…” The badnik let out shrill beep of pain and clenched his fists even tighter. His own talons dug into his metal plating, cutting into it like scissors and paper. “The math does not lie… it cannot lie. I can no more be infected with a virus than I can divide by zero. It is, simply put… mathematically impossible.”</p><p>There was a long pause.</p><p>“Did you want me to leave you alone for now?” Tails asked softly, breaking the silence.</p><p>Metal did not respond, nor did he even acknowledge that he heard that query. Which he did. But he did not know how to respond. After a while, Tails left- his footsteps echoing mockingly throughout the basement, as if they were taunting Metal Sonic and his current predicament. The badnik finally made a decision. He ran yet another scan on his neural net, this time to detect any other “hidden memory files” that may have been breached. There were two other files.</p><p>Metal ran a diagnostic on them, and found nothing malicious. Of course, at this point he no longer trusted his own programming to supply him with the truth. But habit was an extremely hard thing to break, and the bot simply could not help himself. It was clear that he had two choices at this point. Either ignore the files and whatever content that lay within, or download them and initiate a memory playback for each.</p><p>Metal took a chance.</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Opening Memory File # <strong>REDACTED</strong>&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Downloading data… confirm initiation of memory playback?&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Yes/No&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;<strong>Yes</strong>/No&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Confirmed. Beginning memory playback now…&gt;_</em>
</p><p><em>Three years. Three years since he had been turned into </em>this.<em> Three years since his life ended forever. Three years since he had become nothing more than a shell housing a copy of his former self. Looking down at his titanium talons, Metal let out an electronically distorted snort of disgust. He would never be able to look his friends in the eyes again. They probably wouldn’t even recognise him in this state. Were they even </em>his<em> friends?? No. They were not </em>his <em>friends. They were the friends of the one who he was a </em>copy<em> of. Metal lifted his gaze to the cell wall in front of him, crimson optics glaring at the steel barrier less than two feet away from him. </em></p><p><em>And something in him </em> <em>snapped.</em></p><p>
  <em>With a roar of barely-suppressed-now-no-longer-suppressed rage, Metal slashed the wall with a clawed hand- leaving behind thin yet somewhat deep tears in the steel paneling. He stared at the marks in the wall for a moment, and bubble of laughter escaped him in the form of a beep. He lifted his other hand and brought it down upon the wall, reveling in the sensation of his talons ripping it to shreds. He beeped again, and began to tear into the paneling with greater force and speed. That is, until five seconds later the shock chip embedded in his chest tore through his body with a violent burst of voltage. Metal fell to his knees and elbows, beeping and buzzing loudly in pain.</em>
</p><p><em>“Now, now- none of </em> <em>that,”</em> <em> his captor’s voice rang mockingly in the speakers on the walls outside the cell. “You should be </em> <em>grateful </em> <em>that </em> <em>I</em> <em> even let you live!”</em></p><p>Ȋ̸̺’̶̭̿̽ͅd̷̪̳͒͐ ̶̘̻̓͆b̷̡̤̋e̶̗̓͒ ̵̲͘ǎ̴̝̉ ̷̡́͋l̷̼̰͐̃ỏ̸̟͗t̴̟̪̎̑ ̵̠̬̿̈́m̷̦̻͋o̴̮r̸̯͛ë̷̼̜́ ̸̛̮t̶͉͂̈h̶̻̊à̵̬͕͛n̸̼̽̈́k̸̖̞̊͂f̸̞̕͠ṳ̶͋l̶͍̿ ̷̯̇ḯ̷͔͝f̵̛̂͜ ̵̯̌̉I̴̞͛ͅ ̴̘̯̀w̶̲͝͝e̵̘͓͝ŕ̵̢̜̑e̴͚͋ ̴̧̞̈́͋d̵̠̄e̶̠͘ä̵̰́͠d̵̲͊̽,̴̡̺͠  <em>Metal thought to himself, digging his claws deep into the steel floor underneath him.</em></p><p><em>“Now stop acting like a pathetic </em>child<em> and pull yourself together! I have your very first mission planned out, and I’d like to get some degree of </em>use<em> out of you…”</em></p><p>Metal stiffened in his chains. The searing hot loathing of his own former master increased tenfold, and he growled. Once he was free, once he was once again Neo Metal Sonic, once he had control of his own army… he would wipe Eggman and his pathetic empire from the very face of this planet. He would reduce them <em>all</em> to nothing but <em>ashes!</em> He would make the doctor <em>pay!</em></p><p>But that would have to wait for the time being, much as Metal hated to admit it. And besides- there was still one other memory file left to play.</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Opening Memory File # <strong>REDACTED</strong>&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Downloading data… confirm initiation of memory playback?&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Yes/No&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;<strong>Yes</strong>/No&gt;_</em>
</p><p>
  <em>&lt;Confirmed. Beginning memory playback now…&gt;_</em>
</p><p>“Metal Sonic, report!”</p><p><em>Doctor Eggman’s voice was like a screeching </em>banshee <em>to Metal’s audio receptors in general. But it was even worse when the doctor tuned into their communications link- no matter what, the badnik could not escape his master and his terrible, terrible shrieking. </em></p><p><em>“Report </em>what?”<em> Metal demanded, peering around the side of the tree and locking his irises on the Master Emerald. He calculated it to be exactly 20.567756 metres away. The gem was massive. How was he supposed to fend off its guardian long enough for the Egg Pawns to secure it and get it in the air?? “I have only just arrived at the extraction point. I see the Master Emerald, but the guardian is nowhere in sight-”</em></p><p>“Good! I’ll send in the Egg Pawns now-”</p><p>
  <em>“No, this is not ‘good,’” Metal Sonic interrupted with a growl. “This is far from optimal- I cannot distract the guardian if I do not know where he is- for all we know, he-” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“-Could be right behind you?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Metal whipped around exactly 180 degrees, and there, three feet away, stood his target. Knuckles the Echidna. Something ached in the robot’s chest. How was that even possible?? He was a machine. Machines do not feel pain. Nevertheless, he ignored the strange sensation. “Target acquired,” Metal announced, both to Eggman and himself. “I shall proceed with the provided instructions.” With that having been said, he lunged forward and brought his claws down. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The talons tore into Knuckles’ chest, leaving behind bloodied gashes that were spilling with red. The echidna yelped in pain and retaliated by smashing his fist in Metal Sonic’s face. Metal was sent flying and crashing into a nearby boulder. He slumped to the ground, his crushed turbine sparking threateningly. He could feel the crumpled dent that the guardian’s fist had left in his face.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But it was no matter. </em>
</p><p><em>Metal’s optics flickered for a second, then focused on Knuckles once more. This echidna was going to be a challenge for sure. Something in the badnik told him he </em>loved <em>challenges.</em></p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry I ended the chapter a bit abruptly, but it felt like a good place to stop for now. Hope you all enjoyed this latest installment, and I look forward to seeing you all next chapter!</p><p>And, as you could probably tell, I kinda copied TheEnigmaMachine with what she did in Iron Oxide with the whole math thing lol. 😹😹😹😹 Also- go read Iron Oxide right now. It's a literal work of art.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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